Christmas

Today the three kings visit babay Jesus and bring presents for all good children (and coal for the naughty ones). There’s also a tradition of eating a ring-shaped cake called roscon</ There’s a Canarian version, something like a light fruitcake, but this year we tried the one from mainland Spain with a custardy filling. They come with two srprises, rather like the charms in an English Christmas pudding. My husband…

Christmas trees are a comparatively new thing here, although probably most houses have one now. The main traditional decoration is nativity scenes. Some just show the stable, but some public ones are so elaborate that they include the whole village, and it’s always a Canarian village. Obviously that’s historically inaccurate, but no more so than all the English nativity scenes where Mary and Jesus are blond. This one was on…

This Saturday afternoon San Jose will hold its Geman Christmas Market, in the main square, starting at 3pm. There will be a free bus from Los Cancajos at 3pm returning at 6pm. That’s rather bad timing because Father Christmas hopes to arrive at 6pm. Apart for that, there’ll be handicrafts, mulled wine (yum!), German food on sale and bouncy castles.

Gaspar visiting Santa Cruz de la Palma Although Father Christmas does visit Spanish children, he’s a new arrival. Traditionally the presents arrive on the morning of January 6th, when the three kings visit baby Jesus. This is why the sales haven’t really started yet – Christmas isn’t over here. And on the evening of the 5th, they ride in procession through most of the major towns and villages in Spain….

Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate). I hope you have a wonderful time, and that you can be with whoever you want tobe with. My son made this Christmas version of the Dragon Tree Publishing logo. (The original version is by Helen Bennett of Eco-Geek.)

Christmas trees are a newish thing here, although probably most houses have one now. The main traditional decoration is nativity scenes. Some just show the stable, but some public ones are so elaborate that they include the whole village, and it’s always a Canarian village. Obviously that’s historically inaccurate, but no more so than all the English nativity scenes where Mary and Jesus are blond. This one was on display…